of washixgtox city



W. H. ARNOLD.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm.

Patented Nov. 15, 1859.

INVENTORi N4 PETERS- PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT @TT WM. ll. ARNOLD, or WASHINGTON oriry, nis'rmc'r or corrnnm- IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADENG FiRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,076, dated November 15, ld.

To aZZ who/11, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, W. II. Anivorn, of \Vashington city, in the county of \Vashington and District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech- Loading Firei\.rms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification, in the several figures of which similar characters of reference denote the same part.

Figure l is a side view of the firearm. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing piston elevated for loading. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken perpentlicular to upper surface of barrel. Fig. at is a side view showing cocking device.-

This fire-arm is designed to be used with my tail-guide projectile, the construction and operation being as follows: The loading portion of the arm consists of a breech-piston, 1 connected by pins a and b and shackle-piece O with the cap-lever L, which moves about pin 0. The piston has a tail-piece, (Z, which, when lever L is raised, comes in contact with a pin, 0, ext-ending across chamber A, and causes the piston to assume the position shown in Fig. 2, the pin a moving in grooves 73. The piston I has a cavity, in, to receives the tailpiece of the projectile which passes through the cartridge, as shown in Fig. Its head 11- is separate from the main body of the piston, there being an elastic packing, f, between them, so that thehead may have a slight rearward motion at the moment of discharge. The head h is made with a chamber to receive the portion of the cartridge containing the charge of powder, so that the ignition of the charge will, take place in the elastic chamber. The head may, however, be made ilat at its extremity, and the base of the cartridge rest against it after the tail-guide t has passed into its cavity, if it be so desired. After elevating the piston by lifting lever L, the charge is placed upon it by inserting the tail-guide t in cavity at, allowing the cartridge to rest upon the head of the piston. Lever L is then forced down, carrying the piston into a line with the bore of the piece, and forcing it forward therein, so that the several parts will have the positions shown in Fig. 3. In clevating the lever L, pin a encounters the portion 5 of slide 7., whose projecting end Z is in front of the hammer'lll. This cocks the piece as the piston is elevated for loading. As caplevcr 'L shut down, pin (l. encounter-Stile forward portion of the notch in the slide 7:, and fo 3 it. fin-ward to its original position, leaving the hammer elevated, reiuly for Jiring. \Vhen cooked, the stud n on tumbler o is caught by projection 1 on spring .v. The drawing down ol'this spring by trigger T causes the hammer to descend and explode the cap on cone 1). The slide 7: isjointcd atr, so that the rear portion may be elevated out of reach of pin a, il'it be desired to load without cocking the piece.

A modification of this cocking device is seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the notched rod Ilt being attached to the hammer. In practice this slide it and parts connected tlu'rren-ith are designed to be covered.

The sight 1) consists of a long piece wilh a cross-section (shown at X) attached at its front extremity, as shown at a, and provided in rear with two branches, '1, passing around the barrel, and having pins which enter slots 10 of elevating-pieces 7 These pieces are secured to a shaft whose head is seen at z, the slot being eccentric to the shaft. 'Ly turning the head 2 the rear portion of the sight will be moved. There will be 'a graduated scale for the giving of the proper elevation for different ranges. The aim is taken bypassing the sight along the line straight-et'lge constituting the top of the sight. This construction enables the operator to take aim far more quickly than with the sights now in use, as the eye can draw the liuefar more readily than with ordinarysights. The bore of the piece has a slight contract-ion from the base to a distance of about four inches, this contraction being aboutl'our onehundredths 'ofan inch. From this point the bore is formed as in guns of ordinary construction. This is designed to offer a resist-- ance to the ball, so that it may notpass out at the first impulse, but be discharged after the powder has been fully ignited. This retardation will. of course be very slight; but as the ignition of the charge is to a certain extent progressive, it will, nevertheless, pass out with greater velocity than if moved from the bore by the first impulse. The contraction is shown in an exaggerated manner at Y.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of cap-lever L, shacklepiece G, pin 6, and grooves z with the breechpiston P, for operating the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination of slide-piece 7;, jointed as described, with the pin a and hammer H,

operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The cavity m in the piston I, for the reception of the rear projecting tail-piece of the projectile as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hzweherennto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

WM. II. ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

' JOHN S. HoLLIXosnnAD,

Jiis. D. CLARY. 

